Universal Service Obligation Satellite Connectivity for Remote Villages

The Universal Service Obligation (USO) rural satellite connectivity project is a national programme of Oman's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), delivered through a contract signed on 27–29 September 2020 between Space Communication Technologies (SCT), a government-owned satellite operator, and Oman Broadband Company (OB), coordinating with local internet service providers. The project uses Ka-band High Throughput Satellites (HTS) to bring internet access to locations where laying fibre is not economically viable.
According to both the contracting parties' own statements and independent trade-press coverage, the rollout targets approximately 598 remote villages and residential areas, plus more than 100 rural schools and health centres, across Oman. The stated aims are to support e-government access, education and health services, and streaming/entertainment services for populations that would otherwise remain unconnected.
Context and continuity: as of 2025, Oman's TRA has separately begun trialling Starlink low-earth-orbit satellite service in rural areas, reporting "good demand, especially from institutions," with around 50 government schools connected via Starlink. This suggests the Ka-band USO rollout is being complemented — and possibly partially superseded — by newer satellite technology, which is itself a sign that Oman continues to treat rural connectivity as an active policy priority rather than a closed pilot.
Caveats: no independent or published outcome evaluation was found — the available figures describe villages and institutions targeted or covered by the contract, not verified households connected, adoption rates, or user-satisfaction data. No project budget or per-site cost was disclosed in either source.

Read the full analysis: https://www.omanobserver.om/article/9786/Business/satellite-coverage-for-remote-villages-across-oman